Precarious Balance
by Jules-foil
Summary: Leia dies young. Vader senses her death and Luke's life and becomes obsessed. Luke senses it too but even death can't divide force-twins. But can Luke handle power enhanced by his twin instead of shared and Vader hunting him? All disclaimers apply
1. Leia's Passing

The royal family of Alderaan was in mourning. Their beloved little princess Leia had died during the night. The virus that had ravaged the planet for the better part of a year had finally reached the royal household. Adults had been able to fight of the deadly infection, but the children's immune systems were not developed enough to fight it off, and the princess was only four years old.

Her adoptive parents cried over her body. They had failed in their mission to protect the little girl and lost their darling daughter in the process. At least the end had come quickly. She hadn't been in pain as she passed. The hallucinations the fever had driven into her mind may even have been pleasant, for she was still smiling.

On Coruscant only one man had felt the loss of the little princess, if he could be called a man. Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith and Second in Command over the Empire, reeled from the disturbance that rocked the Force. He'd had a child, a daughter, but as quickly as he'd sensed her the daughter had disappeared again, dead and gone forever.

Grief and anger overcame his precarious self-control. The walls of his 'bedchamber' shook with his feelings. Damn Obi-wan Kenobi! He had not just turned his wife against him, he'd stolen his entire family! He remembered his rage toward them both, Padme and Obi-wan, when he'd learned of their betrayal. He'd thought he had…he could hardly bear to remember what he'd thought he'd done. But Padme must have lived a while longer, had given life to his child. If only he'd known! This daughter, had she looked like Padme?

In disgust, Vader quickly shoved his sentimentality aside, but the anger remained. He'd been denied much more than just a child. If the Force had been so disturbed by her loss she must have had the potential, a Force-sensitive of remarkable power. Yes, this was a terrible loss, such a waste. He would have to tell the Emperor, of course. But first he had to find an outlet for his rage. Withdrawing his lightsaber from his belt, he made his way down the hall to his personal training arena. A few droids and…

For the second time that night, Vader was struck by another rocking of the Force. He was caught even more off guard this time, thinking it was over, and he had to lean against the wall to compose himself. Even with the mask's regulations, Vader's breathing became erratic. There were two. Not one, but two children. Twins. And the other, the boy, a son! His son was still alive!

The presence disappeared even more quickly, but this time only hidden. Vader reached out desperately to find it again, but for the first time in years he felt blind in the Force. The boy wasn't really gone. He was out there, somewhere, alive and waiting for him. And he was strong. His presence glowed in the Force like a bolt of lightening. The boy had all the potential of the girl. With Vader's guidance he would be powerful, so very powerful, and the things Vader could accomplish with that power under his control…Vader would find him, he wouldn't rest until he did. Nothing would stand in his way. But with this new development, perhaps his report to the Emperor could wait a while longer.

On Tatooine, Obi-wan Kenobi sat pensively in his hermitage. Bail Organa had contacted him when Leia contracted the disease. He'd planned to go to Alderan as soon as he could arrange a transport to see if there was anything he could do for her, but now it was too late.

Obi-wan was grieving. He hadn't seen Leia since she was a baby, but she'd been Padme's child; hers and Anakin's. Whatever good had remained in Anakin, Obi-wan always hoped it would bloom in his children, but now one of them was gone. At least he still had Luke.

Luke! Obi-wan leapt to his feet. How could he have been so stupid! If he'd felt the disturbance that Leia's untimely demise had wrought through the Force, who's to say Darth Vader or his Emperor wouldn't have felt it too? What if they became curious and came to investigate who this child had been? What if they discovered her relationship to Anakin Skywalker? What if their investigation led them to Luke?

The time for grief had officially ended. Now was the time for action. Obi-wan would have to take on Luke's guardianship himself now if he was going to keep the boy safe. He would go to retrieve him from Owen and Beru as soon as possible, but first he had to find someplace safe to go. He knew Vader would never willingly come back to Tatooine, would never stumble across Luke's presence here. But if Vader was looking for Anakin's offspring, Tatooine was longer safe for Obi-wan and his ward.

On the Lars's moisture farm, Luke had awoken with a cry. It had taken nearly an hour for his aunt to calm him, but even when his sobs had subsided Luke couldn't tell her what was wrong.

"It was just a nightmare, darling," Beru told him, stroking his cornflower hair. "Go back to sleep."

Luke sat in his bed, hugging his knees. His stomach ached horribly, his heart felt strange, and he couldn't stop crying. His aunt said it was a nightmare, but Luke had been having a good dream. He'd been warm and safe with the sound of water all around him and someone else was near. A sudden pain had woken him and it wasn't going away.

"It hurts," Luke said aloud as he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears.

_I know._ Luke's eyes shot open again and he saw a little girl sitting on the foot of his bed. _Me too._

The little girl's mouth didn't move when she spoke, but Luke could hear her quite plainly. She didn't seem to be there, really. Luke could see through her, like a reflection in a glass window, and she blurred when she moved. She had a long brown braid, dark eyes, and a quirky smile. She was dressed in a plain white frock with a gold chain belt.

"I'm Luke," Luke introduced himself.

_I know._ The little girl nodded. _I'm Leia._

"I know," Luke agreed. The two children paused to observe one another. Suddenly Luke grinned. "I'm older, you know. I went first."

_Only by a little._ Leia argued. _And besides, I went first this time!_

"I wish you didn't," Luke said unhappily. "I wish I could have known you, the real you."

_I wish I could have known the real you._ Leia said.

"You won't go away again, will you?" Luke asked desperately. Leia giggled and shook her head so her braid whipped back and forth until it looked like four braids in the air. Luke sighed with a happy smile. The ache didn't hurt so badly anymore. "Good. I'd miss you too much. Goodnight, Little Sister."

_Goodnight, Little Brother. _Leia kissed Luke's cheek, even though he couldn't feel it, and slowly her image faded away. Luke could still feel her presence, though. He rolled over, quite content, and went back to sleep.


	2. The Chase Begins

Vader went to Naboo first to search for some sign of his offspring. He searched the planet's birth records, adoption records, and death records. He even ordered surveillance and interviews of all Padme's remaining family, but to no avail. After three days of searching he had to accept that his offspring were not and had never been on Naboo.

"Where would they have taken them?" Vader pondered as he paced his quarters aboard his flagship. They wouldn't leave the children with just any family, he was sure of that much. They would have wanted them raised by someone sympathetic to their failing cause.

Vader sat at his module and called up a list of all known figures supportive of the Alliance and the Old Republic. He would question them all, one by one, until he found his offspring.

It was nearly two weeks before Obi-wan was ready to claim Luke. For once he was grateful that Tatooine was so far on the outskirts of the galaxy; it gave him time. He'd arranged to be taken off planet by the first available transport that was going anywhere other than Naboo, Alderaan, or Coruscant. He wanted to be far away from Tatooine, but he didn't want to leave any clue for Vader as to where they were going. As it was, his and Luke's first stop would be to Geonosis. The irony was not lost on Obi-wan, seeking refuge on the hostile planet that had marked the beginning of the Clone War, but at least Vader wouldn't think to look for them there anymore than Obi-wan would have chosen it if he'd had the time.

The ship left from Mos Eisley tomorrow. Obi-wan, or Ben as he'd taken to calling himself for anonymity's sake, was packed and ready to go. All he had to do now was go and collect his young charge. He could only hope Beru and Owen would understand.

"What are you doing here?" Owen hissed when Obi-wan knocked on their door. "We have an agreement. You can't just come dropping in like this. You'll confuse him."

"I know this must be unexpected," Obi-wan said calmingly, but paused when he caught sight of the child standing behind Owen Lars. A small child with hair like the dune sands and electric blue eyes. Obi-wan's breath caught in his throat; he could have been looking at Anakin.

"Luke!" Owen said sharply. "Go to your room."

"Who is that man, Aunt Beru?" Luke asked curiously.

"Now, Luke," Owen barked. "Do as I say!"

"Go on, Luke," Beru urged, glancing nervously at Obi-wan.

Luke reluctantly did as he was told. His door was visible from where his aunt and uncle were talking to the stranger, so Luke had to close it. Still, he sat on the floor with his ear pressed to the door, straining to hear. Whatever they were talking about, it wasn't good. Aunt Beru was upset and Uncle Owen was shouting. Luke could only catch a few scraps of the conversation.

"You told us he'd never find…" Uncle Owen growled.

"He's ours …" Aunt Beru was crying. "Four years…"

"…sensed her passing…" The stranger said. "…not safe…heritage…"

"I don't want him around that Jedi…" Uncle Owen shouted.

"I wonder why that man makes Uncle Owen so mad," Luke whispered. Owen wasn't even that loud when he yelled at Luke.

_I like him._ Leia announced. She didn't appear to Luke. She'd only done that once or twice since the first night. But Luke always felt her with him and she often spoke to him.

"Uncle Owen doesn't," Luke reiterated. "I wonder what he wants."

He didn't have to wonder long. He'd been so busy talking to Leia he didn't realize the adults had finished arguing. His door suddenly hissed open and there stood his uncle looking down at him. Luke cringed, expecting to be scolded, but Owen just shook his head sadly and stepped aside. Beru was behind him, crying into her hands. Owen wrapped his arms around her and guided her back toward the kitchen. The stranger watched them go with a sigh and then stepped into Luke's room, closing the door behind him. He knelt down to Luke's level so they could speak face to face.

"Hi, Luke," Obi-wan (no, Ben, his name was Ben now) smiled kindly. "I'm Ben. I'll be taking care of you for a while."

"Why?" Luke demanded. "What about my aunt and uncle?"

"Luke, your aunt and uncle would be very happy to keep you here with them," Ben said, taking Luke's small hands in his. "But that's just not possible right now. You see, something happened, something I can't really explain right now. But it changes things a lot. Now your aunt and uncle, they just want you to be safe and they know that I can protect you. So we've decided that you should come with me for a while. All right?"

"Where are we going?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"Good question," Ben chuckled. This boy was smart. He was going to have his hands full. "We'll be going many places. All over the galaxy, I expect."

"We're leaving Tatooine?" Luke gasped with wide eyes.

"That's right," Ben nodded. Luke frowned; he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He didn't especially like Tatooine, but he'd never been anywhere else. All his friends and family were here. Ben sensed his apprehension. "Don't worry, little one. We'll come back and visit. You'll see your aunt and uncle and all your little friends again."

"You promise?" Luke asked quietly.

"I do," Ben assured him. "So, what do you say? Will you come with me?" Luke sucked his lower lip and furrowed his brow pensively for a few moments before finally nodding his consent. "Good boy. Here, we have to leave quickly, so I'll help you pack."

Luke's clothes, his toy Z-95 Headhunter and X-Wing shuttles ("I'm going to have a real one someday," Luke proudly announced), and a holograph of his family were all stuffed into one small duffle bag. Fortunately as a moisture farmer Luke was used to doing without material possessions. As soon as they were ready Ben took Luke to the kitchen to say goodbye. Owen Lars stood stoically by the table, but Beru burst into tears and hugged Luke close.

"Don't cry, Aunt Beru," Luke said uncertainly. "It's okay. I don't have to go."

"Oh, Luke," Beru sighed and pulled away. She hastily dried her eyes and tried to smile bravely for her surrogate son. "Yes, you do. You have to go with Ben. But it won't be forever. We'll see you again."

"I know, Aunt Beru," Luke told her. "Ben already told me we'd come back."

"Well, there you have it," Beru said. She kissed Luke's forehead. "Goodbye, my darling boy."

"Bye Aunt Beru," Luke said. He glanced shyly up at his uncle. "Bye, Uncle Owen."

"Goodbye, Luke," Owen said. He seemed to struggle for a moment before he finally gave in and leaned down to look Luke in the eye. "You know, you always have a home here with your aunt and me. Always. All right?"

"Okay," Luke agreed. "Hey, can you give this to Biggs for me?" He reached into his bag, pulled out his X-Wing, and handed it to his uncle. "I don't want him to think I just left without saying bye."

"I'll see he gets it," Owen said seriously. He turned to Ben. "You'd better get going now." He advanced on Ben and added in a gravelly voice, "And I swear, Kenobi, you'd better keep this one safe or so help me…"

"I'll take care of him," Ben promised. He held out his hand to Luke. "Come on, Luke. Let's go."

Luke waved once more to his aunt and uncle and then followed his new guardian out to the waiting cruiser. Ben settled him into the passenger seat and then off they went toward Mos Eisley. Luke didn't even think to look back.


	3. Undesirable Information

As one of Vader's many personal ships (he didn't want the attention that would accompany his imperial Star Destroyer) approached Alderaan, he hoped Bail Organa would be in a cooperative mood, for his sake. After several months of searching Vader's limited patience was effectively spent. Trying to find a dead girl-child and her fraternal twin brother, neither of whom he had ever seen or knew the names of, was proving most difficult. He'd had several disappointments already. All of Mon Mothma's nieces and nephews proved to be biologically hers. None of the children in Gar Bel Ilbis's household were of the proper age. It grew frustrating.

However, the new lead from Alderaan had captured Vader's attention. A virus had devastated the planet, killing more than 1/3 of the child population, including a young princess. The funeral had been quick, quiet, and private; odd for a member of a royal family. True, there was no record of any other children, but it was the best lead Vader had.

Bail Organa was in a bad way. He had adored his adopted daughter and the pain of her loss was horrible. The added pressure of his failure in his mission to protect the precious child was almost too much for him. He was in no condition to face the skills of a Sith when Vader came before him. Behind his mask, Vader was smiling. The normally self-possessed diplomat's palpable fury at the mere sight of Vader was all the proof he needed to know he had finally located his offspring.

"Where is the other?" Vader demanded without preamble as soon as he was alone with the grieving father.

"Damn you, Vader!" Organa cursed. "My daughter has just died. Why do you come to torment me further?"

"She was never your daughter," Vader said coldly. "You cost me the girl, but I will have the boy. Give him to me now and I won't have you charged with the murder of an Empire official's child."

"Murder?" Organa gasped. "I, murder my own…How dare you!"

"If you had not conspired to kidnap my offspring," Vader stated, "The girl-child would not have been exposed to the virus and would still be alive. Now, I will ask you one more time: give me the boy."

"What boy?" Organa shouted. "Leia was my only child, you heartless bastard! There is no boy."

Vader clenched his fist and started to crush Organa's larynx. Organa grasped his throat and struggled to breathe as Vader forced him to his knees.

"I am losing patience with you, Senator," Vader sneered at the title. "Do you really believe that your crime does not warrant a death sentence if I choose to pursue it? And the rest of your family? They are your accomplices and co-conspirators." Organa glared up at the black giant effortlessly choking the life out of him, but only his own horrified reflection stared back at him from that polished helmet. "This is your last chance, Organa. Hand the boy-child over to me or I will have your entire family stripped of their positions and properties. Alderaan autonomy will end and your entire planet will be placed under martial law."

"He's not here," Organa choked. "The boy's not here!"

Vader released his hold and Organa fell gasping to the floor. He sensed no lie in the old senator's words. Had they sent the boy away in preemption of his coming? This was unexpected and deeply disappointing.

"Then where is he?" Vader demanded.

"I don't know," Organa sighed. He felt the pressure returning to his throat. "I swear, I don't know!"

"Where did you send him?" Vader snarled.

"I never had him!" Organa exclaimed. Vader released his hold.

"Explain," Vader commanded.

"We separated them," Organa said dejectedly. "To protect them from you and your master. I only took Leia. I don't know what happened to the boy. I don't even know his name!"

Vader was seething. The fools had separated his offspring? They separated twins! Separated Force-bound twins? Did they have no understanding of the damage they had done? Vader looked down at Organa in utter disgust. This man had more to answer for than he'd suspected.

"Who took the male child?" Vader growled.

"I told you, I don't know!" Organa snapped.

"Who placed him?" Vader shouted. "Who chose where he would be fostered?"

"I don't know," Organa said. This time Vader could tell he was lying.

"Perhaps Grand Moth Tarkin will agree to the governorship here," Vader mused as he started to walk out. His cape billowed impressively behind him. "He's always had a certain interest in this planet."

"The Jedi Knights!" Organa confessed miserably. "A few survived the raids. One of them took the boy baby to be fostered. But I don't know who they placed him with, I swear, I don't know!"

Vader didn't respond. He opened the doors and waved in the waiting stormtroopers.

"Senator Organa is under arrest for conspiracy and crimes against the empire," Vader told them. "Take him into custody."

The stormtroopers obeyed without question or hesitation. Vader returned to his ship to continue his search, ignoring Organa's demands for assurances for his family and Alderaan. He had been so close and now this! The Jedi had taken his son, just as they had taken his wife. Vader ground his fists in hatred. Was this Obi-wan's doing as well? But where, where would he have taken him?


	4. Geonosis

Luke was disappointed with Geonosis at first. He'd expected a planet all the way on the other side of the galaxy to be different from Tatooine, but Geonosis was a desert planet. Once they landed, however, Luke quickly found that appearances could be deceiving.

Geonosis was no longer a wasteland like Tatooine. During his time there, Count Dooku had recognized what great resources the planet had to offer in the way of mining. The Empire annexed the planet and delved greedily into its rock. The Geonosians now had to share their once very private homeworld with a wealth of off-worlders sent to work the factories and the mines. Technology and industry surged.

Ben found the two of them a small apartment in the city of Tarash, a small metropolis but big enough so that no one would take much notice of them. He took a job running a small shop selling various parts and scraps, mostly for droids and basic mechanics, a high-demand business on this planet. He never let Luke out of his sight.

The little boy would sit in the back of the shop, tinkering with various discarded parts. Ben discovered early on that Luke had inherited his father's aptitude for engineering and mechanics; the boy had a real gift. He noted this with a strange mixture of pride, dread, nostalgia, and sorrow that sometimes left him a bit queasy. Still, he had also learned that Owen Lars had often seen the similarities and responded angrily, sometimes even punishing the child for no real offense. Ben was determined not to do that, but it was so hard. More than once he caught himself nearly calling the boy Anakin.

"Look, Ben!" Luke called proudly from the back of the store. "Come see what I made!"

"I'm with a customer, Luke," Ben called back. "Be patient." He turned back to his customer. "Now, you were looking for a Z-959 socket. For an asp-droid, was it?"

Suddenly something whizzed passed his head. His reflexes were not so out of shape that he wasn't able to duck, but that didn't prevent him from being startled. It looked like a stormtrooper helmet and for a moment Ben was actually shocked into thinking Luke had thrown it at him. But Luke was usually so good-natured. Ben was already trying to think of what might have upset the child and how he was going to handle this behavior when suddenly the helmet did an about-face and flew back at him.

"What the…" Ben dodged out of the way.

"Oops," Luke said worriedly from behind him. Ben turned around to see Luke holding a suspiciously altered old comlink. "Sorry, Ben. Guess I haven't got all the commands worked out yet."

The helmet was hovering beside Luke, but now that it was still Ben could see that it wasn't just a helmet at all. The helmet had just been a frame for his clever young charge to build on. Luke had removed the eye shields and replaced them with a pair of old electrobinoculars which fed into the holocam attached to the bottom, propelling the unit with its repulsorlift. The receiver to the comlink was attached to top of the helmet and radiating for around the base were several tool appendages from various dismantled astrodroid units, a few of the extra tools, and even a fusioncutter.

Ben frowned disapprovingly. He snapped his fingers and held out his hand. Luke reluctantly surrendered the comlink. Ben also snatched his invention out of the air and banished Luke with another look. Luke dejectedly returned to the back of the store to wait for his guardian. He was in trouble.

"I'm sorry about that," Ben apologized. "Here you are. One Z-959 socket."

"Not a problem," the Chalatan man replied. "You've got quite the engineer there. He'll have a good future here."

Ben smiled agreeably until his customer had left. He examined Luke's invention and his smile faded. It really was very impressive, especially for a 4-year-old boy. Anakin would have been proud. But no, Anakin was gone and Ben could not let the memory of his lost friend taint the image of his new ward. Renewed in that resolve, Ben gathered up the invention and went to deal with its maker.

Luke was sitting on top of an oil barrel looking quite miserable. Ben knelt down in front of him and waited for Luke to look at him. Luke stalled as long as he could, but finally Ben tipped his chin up to face him.

"Luke, did you make this?" Ben asked him seriously.

"Uh-huh," Luke nodded, sucking on his lower lip.

"It's very good," Ben allowed. No sense denying the child's ability. Luke started to smile, but stopped when he saw Ben frowning. "But that's not the point, is it?" Luke didn't answer; he just went back to chewing on his lip. "Luke, you know why I'm angry, don't you?"

"No," Luke shakily denied it.

"Yes you do," Ben insisted. "Yes, you do. Come on, Luke, why am I angry?"

"The fusioncutter?" Luke guessed quietly.

"To start with, yes," Ben said sternly. "You never use these kinds of tools without my supervision, Luke. Haven't we had this discussion before?" Luke nodded silently. "I can't hear you, Luke. Answer me."

"Yes," Luke admitted.

"What's our rule about tools, Luke?" Ben questioned.

"If I can't do it with a manual tool, I can't do it by myself," Luke recited. "And even then, none of the sharp ones."

"Oh, so you do remember," Ben said. He held up Luke's helmet-droid. "Now I've never seen this one before and I know you couldn't have built it just today. How long have you been disobeying me, Luke?" Tears were threatening to spill from Luke's eyes now so Ben didn't make him answer that one. "From now on, no more inventing."

"Not even with the manual tools?" Luke cried.

"Not unless I'm with you," Ben affirmed. "And not at all for a week." Luke started to protest. "And if you argue with me it's going to be longer." Luke quickly gave up protesting in favor of pouting. "You're very talented, Luke, but you need to learn to use your talents responsibly."

"I just get so bored, Ben," Luke complained unhappily.

"I know," Ben said, ruffling Luke's hair fondly. "But you have to behave, Luke. You have to do what I say. I don't want you getting hurt. Understand?"

"Okay," Luke sighed. "I'm sorry, Ben."

"All right," Ben forgave him. "Come on, we'll be closing in about an hour. You can help me stock the shelves until then." Luke nodded and hopped off the barrel. Ben took his hand and led him back out into the main store. "And you can tell me about this latest gizmo of yours. What's it for, anyway?"

"It's to help me with repairs and stuff," Luke explained excitedly. "See, it hovers so it'll be able to reach all the places I can't."

"And what would you be working on that I couldn't reach for you?" Ben asked pointedly.

"I don't know," Luke blushed. Apparently this was a lesson that he would have to be reminded of from time to time. "Maybe if I'm too small but you're still too big…"

"Oh, I see," Ben let him off the hook. "You didn't seem to have much control though."

"I want to download an astrodroid's command protocols," Luke said, but then he remembered his punishment and frowned crestfallenly. "But I guess I can't now, huh?"

"Not this week," Ben agreed. "But I'm sure by next week we'll be able to find a more up-to-date model for you to upload from. Now, why don't you get to work on those restraining bolts; remember where they go?"

Luke nodded agreeably and went to stock the bolts onto one of the lower shelves. Ben sighed and resumed his place behind the counter, watching Luke out of the corner of his eye. He thought about what Luke said about being bored. It was true there weren't many children in this place. Even if there had been, Ben would never allow Luke to go off by himself to play with them; not on this planet.

Maybe he should give more consideration to Luke's education, give him something to occupy his sharp young mind. After all, Luke was five years old and he'd already started his primary schooling back on Tatooine before they left. (What an amazing thing: Luke had been with Ben for almost a year now.) But Geonosis was too far on the outskirts of the galaxy for Luke to receive a quality education out here, even with Ben as his tutor. This was a labor planet and it simply didn't have the resources. Perhaps it was time for them to be moving on.


	5. A Name

Vader stared through the void of space at the most hideous thing he'd ever seen in his vast experience: Tatooine. After Shmi Skywalker died, he swore he'd never set foot on this disgusting planet again. He'd exhausted all other probabilities before even considering coming here. It really was ingenious; hide the child in plain sight in the one place the Jedi knew Vader would never willingly go.

"Lord Vader?" The standard voice of one of a stormtrooper sounded over the comlink. "We're prepared to land, sir."

"Good," Vader responded. "When we arrive, you and your men will surround the moisture farm. Be on the lookout for a young boy between the ages of five and seven. I will interview the farmers and call you if you are needed."

"Yes, Lord Vader."

The transport shuttles landed a few kilometers off from the Lars's homestead so as not to alert anyone. As his heavy boots sank into the sand, Vader cursed the Jedi and their continued interference for forcing him back here. But at least, if his sense of the boy-child had been correct, there was a chance this ordeal might be worthwhile.

Vader stalked toward the small moisture farm with a quick stride. He threw open the door without heed to manners or locks. Owen Lars came rushing into the room, his pulse rifle in his hands, but he froze when he saw the dark figure looming in his entrance hall. In his hesitation, Vader summoned the pulse rifle out of his hands and calmly set it aside out of his reach.

"Lars," Vader sneered. "Where is the rest of your household?"

"Owen?" Beru called as she wondered in from the kitchen. "What was that…Oh!"

"Beru, get out!" Owen shouted. Beru started to obey, but telekinesis was a petty exercise for Lord Vader and he slammed all the doors shut before she got two steps.

"That would be inadvisable," Vader told them. "Your house is surrounded and the both of you are accused criminals. If you wish to make it through this with your farm and your lives in tact I suggest you give me your full cooperation. Sit down."

Owen and Beru reluctantly obeyed. Beru clutched Owen's arm with trembling hands. Owen's jaw was beginning to hurt from grinding his teeth to stay his rage. He didn't care what this monster did to him, but he wasn't going to give Vader an excuse to hurt his wife.

"You were made the guardians of a male infant some years ago," Vader informed them. "Where is he?"

"Not here," Owen growled.

"I didn't ask where he was not," Vader said.

"We don't have him anymore," Beru said quickly.

"You lost him?" Vader demanded. He knew the boy wasn't dead; he'd have felt it if he'd died, just as he had with the girl. If these irresponsible bumpkins had lost the boy though, Vader would have no material leads to follow anymore and the Force was being infuriatingly uncooperative in his search.

"Of course we didn't lose him!" Owen's temper got the better of him. "Luke was like our own. We'd have kept him forever if it weren't for you."

"Me?" Vader asked.

"He said the little girl had passed on," Beru said. "He said you knew it and that you might come looking for Luke now. He took Luke away to keep him safe."

"Safe from me," Vader said ominously. The audacity of these people was intolerable. "And who is 'he' exactly? Who has to boy now?"

"Couldn't say for sure," Owen side-stepped. "He left us about two years ago. It sure took you long enough to get here."

"Owen, please," Beru shushed him.

"Do not test my patience, Lars," Vader warned him. He very much would have liked to choke the answers out of the arrogant farmer, but he also wanted to be off this dustball planet as soon as possible. To expedite matters he injected his Force-influence into his questions. "Who removed the boy from your care?"

"Ben Kenobi," Owen Lars admitted with some strain. "He brought the baby here almost seven years ago for me and Beru to raise. Said you couldn't know Anakin ever had any children or they wouldn't be safe."

"You gave my offspring to Obi-wan Kenobi?" Vader roared.

"Offspring?" Beru exclaimed. "For mercy's sake, Anakin, he's your son! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Don't, Beru," Owen snapped. "This isn't Anakin and Luke's not his anything. There's not a speck of this man in that boy. Nothing!"

"And you clearly have nothing more to offer me," Vader would not suffer these fools any longer. With the push of a button on his com-link he summoned in his troops. "These two are under arrest for crimes against the empire. Take them away. Search the house for any sign of the child that used to be here and then raze this place to the ground. Return your men to the ship as soon as these two are properly processed."

Vader didn't wait to hear his orders acknowledged. He had almost killed those pathetic farmers, but they were not worth his attention. They wouldn't last long in the Tatooine prisons anyway. He could forget them now, let them rot. They deserved it. First they helped steal his offspring and then they handed him over to his most hated enemy. Obi-wan, so the old man was still alive. And he had his only remaining offspring. But not for long, oh no, Vader would not allow that. He'd find them, kill the Jedi, and reclaim Luke.

Well, there was that, wasn't there? Perhaps this errand wasn't a complete waste after all. He had a name to search for now. He'd search under the last names Kenobi, Lars, and Skywalker as well but he doubted Obi-wan would be dull enough to let the boy keep any of those names for long.

"Sir," A stormtrooper caught up with Vader by the shuttles. "There was no sign of a child presently living here, but we did find one holo-image of a young boy in with the woman's belongings, approximately three or four years old."

"Give it to me," Vader demanded. The trooper handed it over and Vader swept into his personal shuttle to view it in privacy.

The little boy smiled out from the image. He had bright violet eyes (some might carelessly call them blue but Vader knew the importance of details) and sandy brown hair, bleached almost blond from the harsh Tatooine sun. He'd have to allow for a darker shade in his search if Obi-wan had taken the boy to a less hostile environment.

Vader sighed with satisfaction. Although initially disappointing, this visit was not at all wasted. His offspring had a face now and a name: Luke. Luke who had his hair and his eyes.


	6. Sharing Secrets

"Mr. Amidala," The seasoned teacher in this public school on Correlia said impatiently. "Mr. Amidala, I will not tell you again to pay attention!"

Luke's eyes snapped forward at his instructor's raised voice. It always took him a moment when people used his other name to realize they were talking to him. Ben had made him change his name when they left Geonosis. Luke hated it. The only reason he agreed to be Luke Amidala at all was because Ben told him it was his mother's name. Luke liked the idea of having a part of his mother, but that didn't mean he was going to give up all he had left of his father. So he was Luke Amidala to the rest of the galaxy and Luke Skywalker at home with Ben.

"Sorry, sir," Luke apologized. The teacher frowned skeptically and returned to his lesson. Luke pretended to pay attention for a few minutes before returning to his surreptitious conversation with the phantom to his left.

Leia had the same long brown hair and simple white clothes, but she was no longer a four-year-old. She'd aged as Luke had and now had the appearance of a lovely nine-year-old. She occasionally changed the style of her hair, usually to fit whatever planet Luke was on, but most of the time it still appeared in some kind of braid or twist.

No one else, besides Luke, had ever been able to see her, not even Ben. Luke sometimes wondered if he shouldn't tell his guardian, but he'd learned early on to keep his sister a secret from anyone else. When she had first arrived, even before Ben came for him, Luke had been caught talking to her by some of the older kids. Of course, they could not hear or see her so they thought Luke was talking to himself. They teased him, called him crazy. Luke couldn't let people think he was crazy here. It would draw too much attention and Ben said they couldn't have that. So Luke was always careful not to talk to Leia if someone else was likely to notice. But it was hard not to talk to her in school. The teacher was so boring!

"Hey Luke!" Alia waved to him after classes were over. "We're going down to Wiko's. You want to come?"

"Can't," Luke shrugged unhappily. "Not allowed." It was one of Ben's many rules: straight home right after school. He was almost never allowed to play with his classmates, unless Ben was chaperoning. Alya smiled apologetically and ran off to join their peers. Luke sighed and sulkily kicked at pebbles all the way home.

"Luke?" Ben called as soon as he heard the door open. "Where have you been? You're late."

"I walked slow, is all," Luke said. He went straight to his room, threw his school bag on the floor, and shut the door. He shut the door quietly, so Ben knew something was really wrong. He put the sandwich he'd made for Luke's after school snack back into the cooler and followed to find out what the matter was.

"Luke?" Ben knocked gently before opening the door. Luke was lying on his stomach on the bed with his face buried in the pillows. Ben sat beside him and started rubbing soothing circles over his back. Even though he was worried about his ward, Ben also couldn't help enjoying this time with him. He had never been permitted to be very demonstrative to his padawan, never even considered telling Anakin he loved him until the Order was destroyed and their rules no longer mattered. Not saying it hadn't made it any less true, though. He wondered now if maybe Anakin hadn't been right about a few things; maybe the Jedi made a mistake eliminating relationships like these. It hadn't always been so in the Order; the isolation was actually a relatively new practice, supposedly to prevent split allegiances. Perhaps if it hadn't been initiated, if Anakin hadn't been forced to hide his marriage…but that was a dangerous path to follow. Right now he had to focus on Luke and not his father. "What's wrong, young one?"

"It's okay, Ben," Luke sniffled. "I'm fine."

"Luke," Ben coaxed and admonished at the same time. He didn't allow Luke to lie or hide things from him. Luke cringed at the reminder; he hated to think of how angry and disappointed Ben would be if he ever found out about Leia. But he tried to make up for that deception by always being honest with Ben about everything else.

"It's just that all of my classmates went over to Wiko's after school," Luke explained. "Sometimes they go to the virtual arcades too. But I can't ever go because…"

"Because of our rules," Ben sighed. "Oh Luke, I'm sorry. I know this has got to be hard on you."

"I just get lonely sometimes, Ben," Luke rolled onto his side and curled closer to his guardian. "It's not that I don't love spending time with you because I do!" Ben smiled. Luke was always so watchful of his feelings. "But all the other kids get to go places together and play together and I…"

"Can't," Ben finished for him. And the poor boy didn't even understand why. Ben still could not bring himself to tell Luke about the monster that had once been his father. He's too young, Ben would tell himself. Far too young. "I'm sorry, Luke. I'm not sure how to fix this right now. But I'll think about it very hard and I'll try to come up with something. All right?" Luke nodded. "Good boy. Now why don't you start your homework and I'll bring you your sandwich?"

Luke retrieved his datapads and got to work. He finished his school assignments quickly, as always, and then started in on the assignments Ben gave him. Leia appeared beside him at his desk then. These assignments were much more exciting and fun for both of them. And Ben had learned very quickly that it was important to keep his charge well engaged.

"A sharp mind left idle," Master Windu had once told him. "Can become a very sharp weapon." Truer words were never spoken, as Luke's many 'accidents' could definitely attest. The kitchen floor was still scorched in one corner from his last explosion.

But keeping Luke's mind occupied was difficult. He had always been very clever, but as he grew older, every talent and ability he possessed seemed to grow exponentially stronger. He could easily be at least three standard grades ahead of where he was in school, but Ben never allowed him to take the advanced placement tests. The attention could not be born no matter how bored Luke was in class. The Empire was always on the watch for prodigies.

Luke was often cautioned not to show off and he tried to obey, but it frustrated him, being held back unable to do his best. So, to keep Luke from getting dangerously bored, Ben supplemented his learning at home, tutoring him and downloading any texts he wanted. He made a small workbench in Luke's room for his projects. He even guided him through rudimentary Jedi exercises like meditation, though he never explained what they were really doing. Ben had never mentioned the Jedi to Luke outside of history lessons. He didn't want Luke stumbling across any information about Anakin or Vader.

After Ben dropped off Luke's sandwich, he listened through the door for a few moments chuckling. Luke was chattering away again as he worked. Luke's rapid development sometimes made him seem like a brilliant man in a child's body. Ben often worried Luke was growing up too fast. But then he'd witness one of Luke's endearing quirks: the way he chewed on his fingers when he was feeling shy or nervous; the way he still played with his model flyers, puffing out his cheeks to make sound effects; and especially the way he debated himself when he was working through a puzzle. Of course, Ben would probably be much less comforted by that last habit if he knew about Leia.

"Qui-Gon," Ben whispered as he settled onto his favorite settee for meditation. "What am I going to do with him?"

_I believe that has become your new mantra, Obi-Wan,_ Qui-Gon teased as he alighted before his former student. _For over four years now, each of our communions has begun with those words._

"Luke does consume a great deal of my mental resources," Ben chuckled. "It's a challenge just to keep up with him. He's developing so quickly. Even physically. I mean, outwardly he appears to be maturing normally, but I've monitored his exercises and his reflexes…kinesthesia…it's well above normal, and without any formal training! And his mental faculties just seem to keep on expanding. No matter how I try, Qui-Gon, I cannot find any explanation for it. I'm beginning to think I should take him to Dagoba, ask Yoda's advice."

_It's too dangerous for the remaining Jedi to congregate, _Qui-Gon advised. _Not while the Emperor remains in power. _Qui-Gon never, never spoke ill of Anakin. He refused to speak of Vader at all. The only threat he acknowledged was the Emperor. _Not while Luke remains in your care and untrained. But if you like, I will commune with Yoda and tell him of your concerns._

"Thank you, Qui-Gon," Ben nodded. "I do worry about him. I don't think I could bear to lose another one."

"Did you lose something, Ben?" Luke asked as he came down the hall, carrying his plate back to the kitchen. "I'll help you look if you…Oh!" Luke started when he caught sight of the man kneeling beside his guardian. There was something strange about him, a sort of luminescence, almost like Leia had when she was solid. Luke bit shyly at his thumb for a moment before he caught himself. "Hello, sir. I'm sorry I interrupted, Ben. I didn't know anyone was here."

If Ben had been paying attention to his former mentor, he would have been treated to the rare treat of seeing a Force-specter stunned. As it was, Ben was far to dumbfounded himself to be all that concerned with Qui-Gon's reaction. It had taken him over a year to learn how to commune with Qui-Gon and he was an experienced Master Jedi! Luke barely comprehended what the Jedi were and he was seeing and speaking to Qui-Gon as if he were a neighbor dropping by for a chat. Ben shuddered. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Luke was still far too young to hear the truth about his past and his heritage, but clearly it could no longer be avoided. This kind of power could not be allowed to keep growing out of control and unchecked.

"Luke, come here" Ben said gently. Luke put the plate down on the refreshment table and cautiously obeyed. He was getting one of his strange feelings. "You can see the man here in the room with me?"

"Uh-huh," Luke said dubiously. "Sure."

_Luke,_ Qui-Gon said. Luke started at the strange quality to his voice. It was more like hearing his own thoughts, than another's speech. _My name is Qui-Gon. Can you understand me?_

"Yeah," Luke said. His fingers crept back up to his mouth. Something was off and it was making him very apprehensive. "Ben, what's going on?"

"Luke, did you ever hear any ghost stories on Tatooine?" Ben asked. Qui-Gon's image raised an eyebrow, but Ben just shrugged. How else could he explain this to a novice? He only hoped Luke would not be too frightened by the analogy.

"Oh wow!" Luke's eyes beamed. "Are you a ghost, Mr. Qui-Gon?" Ben sighed and rolled his eyes. Honestly, only Luke! "Do you haunt our apartment? Did you die here? Oh, I'm sorry. That's probably a rude question, huh?"

But Qui-Gon was distinctly amused by Luke's antics. _I do not haunt, youngling,_ Qui-Gon corrected. _Nor am I a ghost, per say. Are you familiar with the Force?_ Ben lowered his eyes. With Ben's efforts to shield him, Luke probably knew next to nothing about the Force.

"It's all the energy in the universe," Luke recited. "Some people can use it to do things. The Emperor and his lieutenant Lord Vader are supposed to be able to because they're Sith."

"Luke!" Ben scolded. Luke wasn't supposed to know about the Force yet. He certainly wasn't supposed to know about the Sith! And hearing Vader's name from Luke's mouth sent shivers down Ben's spine. "Where did you hear those things?"

"At school," Luke said. "Jawsey Campher's father works for the Imperial Ministry of Finance. They lived on Coruscant before he was transferred here. Jawsey talks about it all the time. He says he saw Darth Vader once, but I don't believe him."

"That's enough, Luke," Ben snapped. "I don't want to hear you talking about the Sith anymore. And I especially don't want you mentioning Darth Vader or the Emperor again. Do you understand?"

"No," Luke frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm not asking for an argument, Luke," Ben said. He glanced at Qui-Gon hoping for aid or at least a sign of approval to tell him he was doing the right thing. But the specter did not interfere, as Ben knew he wouldn't. "Just do as I ask. No more talk about the Empire. Now, listen to Qui-Gon. This is important."

_The Force cannot be explained at once,_ Qui-Gon said. _You will have to look to your guardian to teach you its ways from now on._ Ben leaned back in his seat and folded his arms; he was a bit reminiscent of Luke when he was sulking. _For now, simply know that some people are born with more sensitivity to it than others. They can develop that sensitivity, learn to control it, and sometimes when their life-energy is released into the Force at death, they can continue to do so. When I lived, I was a Jedi and now I am joined with the Force. Other Jedi can be hone their sensitivity to commune with me in this spectral form._

"So how come I can see you?" Luke asked. "I'm not a…" He glanced at Ben warily. "Well, I don't know anything about the Force. And the Jedi have been gone for ages."

_Not completely,_ Qui-Gon said. _But you are right to assume that it is unusual for you to see me. Tell me, Luke. Before today, have you ever seen or done something you think other people may not have been able to do? Something you couldn't explain?_

Luke practically shoved his entire thumb in between his teeth. He wanted to deny it. He was even starting to wish he'd never seen this specter at all. But he couldn't. Keeping secrets was bad enough; Luke would never tell an outright lie to his guardian. All he could do now was confess and hope for mercy. He slowly nodded his head.

"You have?" Ben exclaimed. "When? Why didn't you say anything?"

"I…" Luke stammered. His throat was already starting to close up on him. "Sometime I see…"

"This has happened more than once?" Ben demanded. Luke bit his lip and nodded miserably. Leia's presence warmed him from the inside out, but whether due to the seriousness of the situation or for fear of Qui-Gon, she did not appear. Ben beckoned Luke over and made him stand in front of him. "What have you seen, Luke? Tell me everything, right now!"

It took a minute for Luke to catch his breath and calm his stomach enough to speak evenly. "When I was really small," he said. "Back when I still lived with Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen, a girl came to my room one night."

"A girl," Ben repeated. He glanced worriedly at Qui-Gon, who was still present and listening avidly. "Do you remember much about her?"

"Her name's Leia," Luke said. He had to do this quickly, or he wouldn't be able to go through with it. "She's my twin sister. I don't know why we weren't together, but she lived on another planet called Alderan. She was a princess. But she got sick and she died. It hurt really bad; Aunt Beru said I'd had a bad dream. And then Leia was there and I knew that I knew her."

_Have you seen her since then? _Qui-Gon asked.

"All the time," Luke nodded. "I can feel her with me. She talks to me, mostly in my head. And I can see her too, sometimes, but she can't hold it long. When she's here, though, she kind of glows like you. And even though she's not really alive anymore, she still gets older like me."

Qui-Gon looked fascinated, even excited, but Ben was anything but. He was furious. If Qui-Gon had still been his master, no doubt he would have scolded his loss of control, but Ben didn't care. He'd gone to such lengths to protect Luke, to keep him safely hidden from the galaxy, from the Force, and Luke had been thwarting his efforts the whole time! Communing with a specter should have left him constantly open in the Force like a beacon! It was a wonder Vader wasn't swarming down on them right now. Luke could feel his guardian's displeasure. He was cringing and trying to resist the urge to reach out to him for comfort. But instead of assuaging Ben, Luke's Force-fueled empathy only provoked him further.

"Luke Skywalker, how dare you!" Ben shouted. Luke curled up tight upon himself. He could count the number of times Ben had really yelled at him on one hand and this was already worse than all of them. Qui-Gon frowned disapprovingly, but didn't intervene. "What did you think you were doing hiding this from me! The rules I set are for you! To keep you safe! I thought you understood that. And now I find out that you've been lying to me all this time! What else haven't you been telling me?"

"Nothing!" Luke cried miserably. His throat was so tight he felt like he was being strangled from the inside. His eyes were stinging. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Ben. You couldn't see her. I didn't want you to think I was a freak. I was wrong. It was a bad thing to do. I know that. I'm sorry. But I promise there's nothing else, Ben, really. I promise!"

"Oh and how do I know that's true?" Ben demanded. "If you've kept something this important from me, how will I ever be able to trust you again? Luke Skywalker, I have never been more disappointed in you than I am right now."

"Ben," Luke begged. He was sobbing so badly his whole body rattled. "I'm sorry. Please don't say those things. I'm sorry! I'll never tell another lie ever again. Never. I'm sorry, Ben."

Watching Luke struggle to take in each shuddering gasp, Ben slowly relented. He'd driven the poor boy into hysteria. After all, Luke's contact with other sentients was negligent at best. Leia's presence was clearly integral in Luke's life if the connection affected Luke so drastically (Ben was sure Leia was somehow connected to his extraordinary ability) but she was an extension of her living brother, apparently no longer an independent being. Ben really was all Luke had in the entire galaxy. And with his angry words he'd threatened to take all that away.

Ben looked at his former mentor and wished, not for the first time, that Darth Maul had killed him instead and left Qui-Gon alive. All the younglings of the temple had loved his master. Anakin had adored him. If only Qui-Gon had survived to be Anakin's master, how differently things might have turned out. Perhaps Luke wouldn't have been orphaned at birth. Then again, perhaps Luke wouldn't have been born at all. It would do no good to wish Qui-Gon had survived to be Luke's guardian; he was Ben's ward and Ben's responsibility. Qui-Gon smiled softly and nodded his approval before slowly fading back into the cosmos.

With a sigh, Ben pulled Luke into his lap. "All right," he crooned and pet the child's tawny hair until he calmed down some. "No more tears now. It's okay. I forgive you."

"You do?" Luke sniffled.

"Of course, child," Ben said. He dried Luke's face with his thumbs and held him close. "I think you've been keeping this secret for a long time, haven't you? Before you even met me, it was a secret." Luke nodded against his guardian's chest. "It's hard to let go of a secret like that. Keeping it becomes a part of you. I understand. To be honest, there are many things that I haven't shared with you yet." Luke looked up eagerly. "No, I'm not going to tell you today. I haven't shared these things with you because you're still too young to hear them." Luke scowled. He hated hearing that. "Just like maybe you weren't ready to tell me about Leia until now. I think you saw Qui-Gon today for a reason, Luke. I think it means we were both ready for you to share your secret with me. I'm glad you trusted me enough to do it, even though I know you were scared. And I'm sorry that I reacted badly. Forgive me?"

"It's okay, Ben," Luke said. "I forgive you. I love you."

Three simple words, but they startled Ben so much he almost squeezed the air out of Luke's lungs. He cared for Luke deeply and had never if five years doubted that Luke cared for him as well. But in those five years Ben could not remember Luke every saying he loved him; probably because Ben had never said it either, not since he left Anakin to die on the edge of the lava pit.

"I love you too, Luke," Ben hugged him and kissed the top of his head. The shaggy hair tickled his nose; the boy needed a haircut. "Very much. Now, I want you to promise me that you won't keep secrets from me anymore, and that will be the end of it. Okay?"

"I promise," Luke said very seriously.

"Very good," Ben picked him up and set them both on their feet. "And since you've shared something important with me today, I think it's only fair that I share something with you too."

He didn't want to frighten Luke by exposing him to too much to fast; nor did he want to attract attention by disturbing the silence of the Force. So he he kept it simple. He pointed to the abandoned plate Luke had been carrying and levitated it through the door, across the hall, and into the kitchen's sanitizer. Luke's eyelids were stretched impossibly wide, but his hand was still a safe distance from his mouth so Ben assumed he'd avoided disturbing him. Unseen to Ben, Leia had appeared beside her twin and was jumping up and down excitedly and clapping silently.

"Ben," Luke gasped. "How'd you do that?"

"Through the Force, little one," Ben said. Normally, Luke would have objected to the reference to his size, but right now Ben could call him whatever he wanted. "Through its power, all things are possible. Those who can access it are very blessed. I am one; so was Qui-Gon; so was your father; and so are you."

"My father? I'm like my father?" Luke latched onto the idea immediately; a little too quickly for Ben's taste, but it was time to overcome that particular fear. "Can I learn about the Force too, Ben? Will you teach me?"

"Yes, Luke," Ben sighed. "I'll teach you."

"Right now?"

"Well, not everything right now," Ben chuckled. "Learning the ways of the Force takes a long time. But I suppose now is as good a time as any to start. Tell me, did you know what Qui-Gon meant when he said he was a Jedi?" Luke shook his head. Ben sat back down and gestured for Luke to do the same. "You see, Luke, long before the Empire, the Jedi…"

And thus Luke finally became an apprentice in the Force. And Ben tried to ignore the fact that Luke's training was beginning so many years later than Jedi canon dictated; nine years old, just like Anakin.


	7. Making Acquaintances

Over the next few months it became clear that Luke and Ben were both receiving a remarkable education. It was an accepted pattern among the Jedi that students often surpassed their teachers with time. But now, Ben was faced with the challenge of instructing a child whose raw power was already beyond his own. Soon, Ben accepted that he was less of a teacher and more of a guide as Luke explored a talent unlike anything the galaxy had seen before.

The most startling discovery came early when Ben tested Luke's blood. It had never occurred to him to do so, since midichlorian levels are supposed to be constant and Luke's count was taken at birth. But a 14500 count, though very high, could not account for Luke's all but unnatural talent. So, Ben ran another test and nearly buckled when he found that not only had Luke's count increased, it had precisely doubled to 29000. Not even Anakin's count had been so high. Ben immediately contacted Qui-Gon and, for the first time since the overthrow, risked a conversation with Yoda using Qui-Gon as an intermediary. The three Jedi talked through the night while Luke slept obliviously in his room.

The only conclusion they could draw was that Leia's death had affected Luke more than anyone could have anticipated, due to their bond as twins. Force-twins were very rare and deeply connected in symbiosis. It had even been suggested that such twins were actually one entity that would merge completely when the two were released into the Force at death. After all, it was consistently found that if one Force-twin died so did the other, almost immediately. That was why it was such a relief to find Luke still alive after Leia's passing. At the time, Ben assumed that since the twins had been separated their bond had not fully developed.

Now it seemed the Jedi had underestimated the bond between Anakin's children. Instead of Leia pulling Luke into death with her, Luke had kept her in life with him, and the Force still fused the two together. Luke was now a two-spirit (Qui-Gon's terminology), the personification of human nature; masculine and feminine and, Ben feared, perhaps even Light and Dark. Finding a balance between his natures would be a challenge Luke would probably struggle with all his life.

On a more practical note, the extraordinary side effects certainly made school an even greater problem. Luke really was far too advanced for the class he was in, and his Force-training was only exacerbating the issue. More and more frequently, Ben found that Luke knew things he shouldn't – things he couldn't – with hardly any instruction at all. It didn't seem to be completely random, however. Although Ben wasn't sure where Luke's proficiency in things like botany and anatomy came from, he was certain that his innate abilities in flying and mechanics came from Anakin, perhaps as an inherited memory. Perhaps that was why he kept Luke's flying so severely restricted.

But it was not so easy to control Luke during the day when he was in class. He was frequently being reprimanded, mostly for not paying attention and correcting the teacher. It was clear to Ben that they'd have to move again after the school year was out; it would draw too much attention now. On the next planet, he'd have to go back to keeping Luke out of school and teaching him at home. Luke wasn't going to be happy about that, but now that he was being trained, Ben had to be extra vigilant with his ward lest Vader catch a glimpse of him. The possibility of being recognized as exceptional in school -rather than being written off as a problem child the way Luke's teacher did now - was much too dangerous. In the mean time, Luke was blissfully unaware of Ben's fears. He loved their lessons together, and tried to stay out of trouble the rest of the time.

Of course, staying out of trouble was a worthy goal, but a difficult practice. One day, when Luke was walking home, he looked up from the walkway and noticed that his feet had carried him off his usual route. He chewed his thumb nervously as he turned around on the spot, trying to figure out where he was. Ben was going to be so mad!

Ever since their argument Luke had been trying extra hard to please his guardian. Ben sensed his ward's insecurity and reminded him several times that he was already forgiven, but Luke wanted to be sure. Now his absentmindedness may have ruined everything.

He was clearly near a landing strip; that much was obvious from the heavy traffic above his head. That didn't help much, though, as there were a dozen such strips throughout the city. Maybe Luke could find a public com unit and call Ben to come get him. Ben was always scolding him to ask for help when he was in trouble. But before Luke could even look for a unit a horrible roar broke through the din of the bustling street. He ran around the corner to see what was happening.

Two local federals and a handful of stormtroopers were wrestling with a Wookie outside of a store. The manager was wringing his hands in the doorway, wavering between intervening and going back inside. Luke knew at once what was going on; even he wasn't so sheltered that he didn't know about the restrictive policies against non-humanoid species, especially the Wookies. The shop owner clearly had no reservations about serving a Wookie in his store, but apparently these feds found it amusing to harass this creature.

"If you refuse to provide proper identification, then we'll just have to take you in for processing" one Fed yelled over the Wookie's roars. Refuse to provide? They had his arms restrained and weren't even attempting to search him. "Maybe a few months on a leash for resisting arrest will retract your claws for you."

It was disgusting; Luke felt physically sick to his stomach just watching them. How could anyone ever enjoy the suffering of another being? It was more than Luke could stand. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to calm down, but he could feel the energy building inside of him. He didn't want to hurt anyone though, no matter how angry the feds were making him. So when he felt he couldn't contain himself anymore, he lifted his eyes to the sign above the store window and soon the fluorescent screen was popping and sparking as circuits overloaded and exploded. The shards and sparks rained down on the people below, even singing the Wookie's fur a bit. But more importantly, the feds were so busy trying to cover their heads and get out of the way they lost hold of the Wookie and it was able to get loose.

"Hey," Luke grabbed and handful of fur as the Wookie barreled past. He growled down at him, but softened when he realized it was just a boy tugging on him. "Come on, hide in here."

Luke took hold of the Wookie's paw and pulled him into a public hanger across the street. The two of them hid between to utility speeders until they heard the ruckus outside quieted down. The Wookie rumbled his appreciation, almost purred actually, and ruffled Luke's hair. Luke giggled and smiled broadly.

"You got somewhere to go?" Luke asked. "I'd offer to bring you back to my house, but the truth is I'm not sure where that is from here. I'm sort of lost."

The Wookie rumbled in what Luke interpreted as amusement and gripped one of his shoulders in his large paw. The two of them left the hanger through a side exit and walked a few blocks down to the landing strip. Luke smiled his thanks up to his furry new friend. He started for the main office to ask if he could use their com to call his guardian, but the Wookie kept a firm hold on him and pulled him over to a slightly worse-for-wear YT-1300 transport freighter. A young human man with brown hair flopping over his broad forehead was throwing his black vest on the ground and kicking tools out of his way as he slumped against a ladder leading up to an exposed panel. The Wookie roared out a greeting and the man waved back absently. When he noticed Luke, he frowned.

"Hey, what gives Chewie?" The man asked. "Where'd you get the kid?"

The Wookie, or Chewie apparently, started gesturing and growling wildly; Luke could only assume he was telling the man what had happened. The man scowled and cursed a few times during the telling. Luke just sort of wandered in the general vicinity, taking in the ship. It wasn't really as bad off as Luke had first thought. The hull had a few battle scars, but no real structural damage. Although, if the mass of tools lying about was any clue, there might be some more complications under the hood.

"Damn," the man swore once more when Chewie finished the story. "Lousy imperialistic bastards. Sorry about that, Chewie. Next time we need something, I'll go for it." He finally turned back to Luke, and the boy stilled while the man looked him over appraisingly. "So, you helped the furball get away, huh?" Luke shrugged. "Well, good looking out. Thanks for that."

"No problem," Luke grinned.

"Yeah," the man chuckled. "You say that now. Just wait. I hope you like Wookies, kid, because you're not going to be able to get rid of this one." He laughed again at Luke's confused expression. "It's called a life debt. You save a hairy one's life, he owes you. Wookies are real big on those, trust me. I helped Chewie here out of a spot a while back, and haven't been able to shake him yet." The Wookie growled and shoved the man, which only made him laugh harder. "Oh, come on, pal. You know I'm kidding."

"But I didn't save his life," Luke objected.

"You got him away from those imperials, didn't you?" the man disagreed. "You have any idea what inner federals do to Wookies? They're still gunning for the whole species because of the Clone War." Luke cringed; he'd heard rumors about labor pits and ion whips. "As far as Chewie here is concerned, you did enough." Chewie nodded and rumbled in agreement. "Especially with you being a kid. Or, maybe I should call you a cub now."

"I just wanted them to stop," Luke blinked bemusedly. Chewie cooed at him and ruffled his hair. Luke smiled again, and stroked the coarse furry paw.

"Ah, don't worry about it, kid," the man shrugged. "I'll keep him out of your hair. We're getting off this rock anyway, just as soon as we can manage it." He threw a dirty look up at the ship and started kicking tools again. "Assuming we can get manage it at all, of course." He sighed and banged his fist against the hull with a clank and leaned his elbow against the gangplank. "I don't know, Chewie. Maybe Lando threw the game just to get rid of this thing."

"You need help?" Luke asked brightly. "I can help. I can fix anything."

Luke scooped up one of the discarded tools and climbed up on the ladder without waiting for an invitation. Chewie roared in what might have been a scolding tone and wrapped his paws around Luke's waist to balance him. Luke quickly located the problem and set to work fixing it.

"Hey, what are you doing, kid?" the man objected. "Get out of there before you hurt yourself and I get blamed for it. Chewie, get him down!" Luke was too caught up in his latest puzzle to heed the man's objections, and Chewie was simply ignoring him.

"Okay, see, you've got the charge reversed on these ion filters," Luke explained as he worked. Some of the crossed wires were still hot, so he used his telekinesis to move them. Ben would not have approved, but better that than electrocution. Besides, the man was too busy arguing with the Wookie to notice. "It's sending negative particles straight through the resistor instead of to the capacitor first. And the positive particles aren't going anywhere at all. They're just building up until they cause an overload. Have your environmental sub-systems been blowing out on you a lot?"

"Uh…yeah!" the man blinked. He stopped trying to get Luke away from the ship and moved in for a closer look at what he was doing. "Actually, they have. How'd you know that?"

"This should stop that," Luke said as he finished the final recalibrations. "But you're still going to need to replace a few fuses. There! All done." He closed the access hatch with a grin. "Give it a try."

The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but all the same he ran up the gangplank into the ship. A moment later, it was powered up without any delay, the engines hot and ready to go. A joyful cheer echoed out of the open hatch and the Wookie roared in approval, thumping Luke on the back so hard he was nearly knocked off the ladder. The ship was quickly powered down again. The man sauntered back out and over to Luke.

"Nice," The man nodded. "Very nice. You know, me and Chewbacca here might just have to keep you around for a while. That was great work, kid. What's your name anyway?"

"I'm Luke," he offered his hand. "Luke Amidala."

"Han Solo," Han accepted the handshake. "Nice to meet you, junior. Guess that's two we owe you now."

"What's your ship called?" Luke asked leaning far back to get a better look.

"The Millennium Falcon," Han said proudly. "Newly acquired. You like her?"

"She's great," Luke said. "I wish I could help you work on her more. I bet we could make her go so fast!"

"You think so, huh?" Han said. "How old are you anyway?"

"Ten."

"You don't even have two syllables in your age yet?" Han exclaimed. Chewbacca rumbled with laughter. "Oh, shove it, you big hairball! You couldn't fix it either!" Luke stifled a giggle behind his hand. "So, kid, you'd really like to help us overhaul this bird?"

"I'd love to!" Luke said wistfully. "But I can't. I really shouldn't even be talking to you. I'm supposed to go straight home after school. I got kind of turned around, though. I was just going to call Ben to come get me."

"Who's Ben?"

"My guardian."

Guardian. That meant the kid was an orphan. And he hadn't specified a relation, so maybe they weren't blood. In Han's experience, assigned guardians weren't usually as attached as blood. If that was the case here, maybe he could do a little negotiating. It might be useful having a prodigious mechanic around.

"Tell you what, junior," Han said. "How about you tell Chewie and me where you live, and we'll take you home? Then we'll have a little chat with Ben and see if we can get him to let you help us out. How's that sound?"

Luke chewed his lower lip, weighing the pros and cons. He wasn't supposed to talk to strangers; Ben definitely wouldn't be happy about that. But, he really was lost and he did need help getting home. He supposed there wasn't any harm in just asking, right?

"Okay," Luke finally agreed. Han grinned broadly. A little too broadly for Chewbacca's taste, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Terrific," Han said. "Let's go."


End file.
